Read Jeremiah 16:14-21
The book of Exodus records God’s miraculous rescue of His people from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 1-15). The people’s return from exile would be so momentous that it would overshadow even the exodus from Egypt. Even though His people had been so stubborn, God would once again show His great mercy.
Small children think that if they can’t see you, then you can’t see them. The people of Israel may have wished that hiding from God were as simple as closing their eyes. Although they closed their eyes to their sinful ways, their sins certainly weren’t hidden from God. He who sees everything cannot be deceived. Do you have a sinful attitude or activity that you hope God won’t notice? He knows about it. The first step of repentance is to acknowledge that God knows about your sins.
In prayer, Jeremiah approached God with three descriptive names: strength, fortress, and refuge. Each name gives a slightly different glimpse of how Jeremiah experienced God’s presence, and each is a picture of security and protection. Let God be your strength when you feel weak, your fortress when enemies come against you, and your refuge when you need to retreat from life’s pressures.